TOMAHAWK - Show ski teams work hard throughout the summer. For several teams, that hard work brings them to the Division II Show Ski Nationals, which took off Saturday morning in Tomahawk.

"Water skiing is a sport of effort. If you try hard, you'll be a good water skier," said Kwahamot Ski Club announcer Mickey Loka.

The knowledge that hard work can bring great rewards has Loka excited for the show. He knows better than most just how hard the Kwahamot Ski Club has worked this summer--and now they get to show off their skills.

"I'm just the announcer, but I can do a good job announcing and help my team to a national spotlight, and that's really exciting to do," said Loka.

Nine teams compete in the nationals. Mitch Tauke and his team, the Hartwitch Huskys, came all the way from Iowa.

"It's just fun to watch everyone else's shows," Tauke said. "You see what everyone else is doing and how you stack up against everyone else."

You could see boats roar, water skis glide, and even a few special tricks. And this year, it all happens in Tomahawk.

"It's great for the economy," said Kwahamot Ski Club Vice President Keith Hanse. "It's great for the town. And we have one of the best ski sites in Wisconsin, so it's great to show it off."

But it's not all ballet, pyramids, and flips.

"We get 20 minutes to set everything up. And once they blow the whistle, everyone starts running," said Tauke

But, at the end of the day, the teams are excited to hit the water and enjoy the day.

"It's a fantastic day. The sun is out. We got a good crowd," said Loka.

PLOVER - You won't find a lot of opportunities to play or watch baseball around the Northwoods at this time of year. But diehard fans of the game got a chance indulge their passion Saturday when people flocked to Woyak Park in Plover for the Plover Baseball Tournament.

EAGLE RIVER - The Eagle River Pickleball Association opened up its newly renovated courts at Riverview Park Thursday.

The association was first referred to a refinisher to help with the renovations.

But they couldn't afford it.

So they raised $17000 and did it by themselves.

"So let's do it, so we just went ahead," Eagle River Pickleball Association Secretary Melody West said. "The worst thing that it could be is that it turned out rotten. And fortunately, if you see the colors, they let me pick the color so I'm pretty happy."Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE